BATMAN || Automatonophobia || a fanfiction story

PROLOGUE

(please do keep in mind this story is still in heavy progress and for all the chapters I want them to at least be long ones, so some chapters are shorter than others partly because idk how to write extra things in there without being boring, also sadly if ur looking for an X READER this book is an X OC but i might consider writing an X READER soon, enjoy! ^^)

• • • • •

The wind was quiet and eerie. Too quiet, the well-known city of Gotham always had something in the night stirring about, didn't matter what it was. A person minding their day, a car going slightly past the speed limit on a highway, cats and rodents in the night scavenging through the half-empty streets, the list went on.

The most common things were the criminals, they were always out and about causing as much chaos as they could. Weather it be for their own desires, whether it was for justice or for the fun of it. You'd never fail to see people seem shocked when one would make a grand entrance.

What did you expect? It's a city, and city's typically have more crime rates than just a small town in the United States.

Heard Mississippi has been getting higher rates lately. . .

Just outside of the city's territory were towns and small farms, reserved for those who wanted to get away from the crime, couldn't afford it or simply didn't like living in the city.

A middle aged ranch woman by the name of Swan Rose Kyrell, was one of these people. She was short for most women her age; the bottom lips of her jeans lay awkwardly behind her heels as she strode the sidewalk. Bits of her nearly brown-black wavy hair stuck to her sweating forehead.

She wished she had worn her knee high leather boots instead of her top lace up sneakers, they were great for just going in and out of the store. But they weren't great for long distance travel.

Her feet ached as she continued walking home, it wasnt far but it was far enough to where she wished she had just rode her old childhood bike here. Her gray ripped crop-top moved to her side like a flag as the soft wind blew east, she didn't think the warm temperatures would suddenly drop this time of year.

Eventually, she had made it home. Shutting the door behind her with an exhausted sigh, when she straightened out to brush back her bangs she opened her eyes to see her husband standing a few strides from her.

She jumped, putting a hand to her chest and looking at him firmly. "Liam Dalven! I told you to stop startling me when I walk in my own house, it's not funny" the woman complained sharply. He just chuckled softly to her as she stomped off with the bags she brought in the kitchen, Liam eyed her for a moment before walking up the stairs, he knocked one of the doors with his knuckles three times.

"Sloane, Sol. Your mothers home, were having late night dinner".

A young girl (around ten years old), turned her gaze from the door to her eleven year old brother who was laying in bed across from her, they both sat in a few seconds of silence before Solane closed a book she had been reading and leapt out the door, as it swung open her brother followed suit.

"That's not fair!" he stammered.

"Says who?" she replied in a cocky tone.

Solane's brunette hair swayed when she made a sharp turn down the stairs, laughing as the twins gradually raced down the steps.

Solane was wearing black army patterned men's shorts that reached to her knees and a black T-shirt with a white outline of a stallion.

Her brother, Sol. Has short oak brown hair and wore blue sport shorts that were slightly above the knees, the shorts complimented his football T-shirt that is a dark navy blue.

The parents chuckled upon hearing their children stomping their way down the stairs into the kitchen, both peeking over the counter with their noses just inches from touching it.

Swan turned around with her arms crossed, baring a knowing smile. "What did I tell you two about racing down the stairs? You could get seriously hurt".

The twins recoiled a little from standing on their toes to peek over the counter at their mother, Solane spoke first "sorry mom" her quiet voice dragged in guilt.

Their father laughed at the image in his head of the kids tumbling down the stairs as if it was a cartoon, he and the twins found getting hurt or others getting hurt to be funny.

Now, it sounds messed up sure. But this habit mostly came from watching their favorite fail show on TV. Swan gave him a disapproving look, he chuckled nervously.

"What are we having for dinner mom?" Sol asked in the most innocent way possible.

"We're having corn and baked potatoes tonight" Solane groaned, leaning back from the counter with her hands still gripped on the wood.

"Man, I don't like potatoes..." Sol rolled his eyes at his younger sister's quiet remark.

Swan put the corn cobs in a pot with water and started the stove to boil. "Well, you can just have the corn then" Sol and Solane turned to their father when he gestured them to follow him into the living room.

"While your mother is cooking dinner, we have a little bit to watch our show" the twins sat on the couch next to him eagerly as he grabbed the remote and flicked the channels till he got to what he was looking for.

It had only felt like a few minutes before Liam heard his wife in the kitchen hum in confusion. "Swan honey, what is it?" he said  in a raised voice as he turned the TV to hear her. She stepped in the living room with a piece of paper in one hand "Cristian sent a note for you to met up with him, something about wanting to do business in Gotham".

Cristian Myers was an old family friend of theirs, Liam remembered him venting about being nervous in a new job promotion in Gotham. He didn't wanna be far from home and for the past few months, only trusted Liam to help him decide on what to do.

"Ah that ol' geyser needs a second opinion again" Liam grunted as he got up from the couch, grabbing his leather coat from one of the hooks that hung other jackets to the wall.

Swan walks over to him, putting her hands on his chest as he shrugged on his coat. "You won't be too long will you?" she frowned longly at him, he chuckled softly as he lent his head down a bit to kiss her "I wont" he promised, as he traced one of her bangs behind her ear lovingly.

Sol and Solane looked at each other and stuck out their tongues in disgust at their kiss. They both chuckled warmly, Liam turned the knob and walked out the front door.

• • • • •

He never came back after that...

On the way there the police found his car totaled, and his body dangled out of the windshield with the glass cutting his skin like ribbons. Around the chest and hands where scorched from the hot engine boiling the metal of the car, his face was almost unrecognizable and one eye was hanging from the socket.

The funeral took place a month after the incident, Swan was too mentally shattered to want to start the funeral earlier so their aunt had to help raise the funds to afford a burial.

Since then Sol and Solane tried their hardest to take care of their damaged mother, time and time again they would try to make her feel better but she eventually stopped talking, eating or even showering.

After a suicide attempt Solane had enough and called a mental hospital, praying that she would do better. Despite their best efforts on a stormy night the hospital called Sol with the news that their mother had died of stress and overdose from the medication.

That just made things harder for the twins when they reached their sophomore-year of school, living with their snotty aunt and high expectations on their shoulders would prove how they grew strong for the upcoming journey they have yet to face.